POST-ELECTION BLUES: WHERE'S MY PARTY?

November 9, 2006

Michael Smerconish

I'M DOING a personal political sanity check in the aftermath of Tuesday's vote to determine if I'm registered in the party that best reflects my views.

I have doubts. And I see a battle coming for the direction of the party of Lincoln. Will we become a party epitomized by individuals with names like Giuliani, Schwarzenegger and Bloomberg - or Frist, Coulter and Dobson?

I turned 18 in 1980 and registered in the GOP, which seemed to fit what I was thinking. It was the party of my parents, and like many Americans, I followed in their footsteps. When it came time to cast my first ballot, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were still competing for Pennsylvania votes. I met them both on the stump, and was thrilled when they joined forces.

I have never missed voting in the 26 years that I have been registered as a Republican, though I don't recall ever pulling a party lever in a general election. Along the way, I've run for office, served as an alternative delegate to a GOP convention and as a presidential appointee in a Republican administration.

But is the GOP still for me? Help me decide. Here is how I see 15 hot issues:

Bin Laden: I want a commitment of manpower directed toward finding and killing Osama bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri. I want them hunted, found and caused to suffer a heinous death. The full court press should never end.

Profiling: Let's look for terrorists who look like terrorists. In virtually every instance, they have race, gender, ethnicity, religion and appearance in common. Those characteristics should be considered as we seek to prevent strikes against us. Everyone must screened, but some more than others.

Torture. Once we identify the bad guys, we have to get from them the info on impending attacks by any means necessary, and that includes torture. If you believe it NOT to be efficacious, tell me why our best interrogators continually seek to use it as a technique? Answer: It works.

Preventing terror: We need to implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, entrusted to study what went wrong pre-9/11 and recommend how to prevent its recurrence.

Iraq: We need an end game. And don't call it "cut and run." It's time to articulate an exit strategy to let the Iraqis know they need to stand on their own two feet sooner rather than later.

Immigration: Our borders are porous. Only when they are closed should we decide what to do with the millions already here illegally. It is impractical to believe we will ship them back. But attrition, and ensuring no more friends and relatives join them, will probably diminish the herd.

Gays: Homosexuals don't threaten my marriage. As we seek to find some accommodation for same-sex couples, we need to end that false argument.

Abortion: I want a party with room for pro-life and pro-choice views. Plan B should be sold over the counter if you're 18. And I don't want politicians determining my end-of-life plan.

Embryonic stem-cell research: Pardon my callous nature, but that which exists in a petri dish is undeserving of the full rights that are afforded a viable fetus.

Term limits: We need citizen politicians, not professionals. Two Senate terms and six in the House will ensure we get grounded folks who are capable of earning a living when not serving us.

Campaign finance: Stop trying to regulate donations. Someone will always find a loophole. Let anyone spend whatever they are willing, as long as there is full and immediate disclosure.

Entitlements: Social Security, Medicare and other programs make up more than half our federal spending. The number of people on Social Security and Medicare will double in 15 years, and life expectancy continues to grow. We can't afford to continue the status quo. Yo, AARP: The retirement age has to be raised to 70. "Balanced budget" shouldn't be dirty words. I don't want my children and grandchildren saddled with paying for our wasteful spending.

Death taxes: We work hard trying to lead a comfortable life and leave a nest egg for our children. It's un-American that when we check out, Uncle Sam will stand there with his hand out to tax our earnings for the second time. The estate tax must go.

Global warming: Beats the hell out of me. But given the apparent stakes if the concerns are valid, err on the side of caution.

Guns: A symptom, not a cause. Single-parent households pose more of a threat to safety than firearms. Let's address that issue.

So what am I? (And would anyone want me?)

Michael Smerconish can be heard weekdays 5:30-9 a.m. on the Big Talker, 1210/AM. Contact him via the Web at www.mastalk.com.